Black Hawk War (Utah)

Black Hawk War
Part of the Ute Wars, Apache Wars, Navajo Wars
A Ute warrior and his bride in 1874, photograph by John K. Hillers.
Date 1865 - 1872 Location Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Four Corners Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Ute Paiute Navajo Apache
Commanders and leaders
Reddick Allred Warren S. Snow	Antonga Black Hawk Kanosh Manuelito

The Black Hawk War, or Black Hawk's War, from 1865 to 1872, is the name of the estimated 150 battles, skirmishes, raids, and military engagements between primarily Mormon settlers in Sanpete County, Sevier County and other parts of central and southern Utah, and members of 16 Ute, Paiute, Apache and Navajo tribes, led by a local Ute war chief, Antonga Black Hawk. The conflict resulted in the abandonment of some settlements and hindered Mormon expansion in the region.

The years 1865 to 1867 were by far the most intense of the conflict, though intermittent conflict occurred until federal troops intervened in 1872. The Utah Territory spent $1.5 million dollars on the war (equivalent to $26.99 million in 2016), and later requested reimbursement from the United States Government.

Definitive reasons for the Black Hawk War are unknown. Lack of written history at the time makes the determination of cause and effect difficult. However, stories and opinions passed down by word of mouth from the side of the Native Americans and the settlers give insight into the state of affairs at the time leading up to the conflict.

It seems that both Ute and settler apologetics agree that the war was not started by one singular event, but by a series of events. Both parties wanted the land, but by the time the war started each side likely believed that both cultures could no longer live together peacefully. They had tried to live in harmony since about 1849 when Mormon pioneers settled in Manti and joined the Sanpits tribe in the Sanpete valley. However, within a few years of 1849 there were sporadic acts of aggression on both sides leading up to the war. In 1865 the Jake Arapeen and John Lowry, Jr. incident in Manti marked the official beginning of the open warfare between the natives and the settlers,

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